by Susan Stoker
Squirrel threw back his head and laughed as he opened the door to the restaurant. “Okay, you win.”
She beamed up at him as she stepped into the pizza place. Squirrel leaned down and said right into her ear, “But I’m still going to beat you.”
Blythe shoved at him and he laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist. The noise in the restaurant was loud. There were children running around and the sounds of bells, dings, and whoop-whoops echoed around them. But it still seemed as if it was just the two of them.
Squirrel hadn’t ever brought a date to the kids’ restaurant, but it somehow seemed right for Blythe. She’d had too little fun in her life recently, and he knew without asking that she wouldn’t be comfortable with him taking her to an expensive restaurant. Not with her homelessness being so recent.
He didn’t particularly like the thought of her going back downtown to look for her friend, but he couldn’t blame her for wanting to. If he’d gotten to know someone in the same situation as she’d been in, and if that friend had a young child, he’d do whatever it took to get them help.
Squirrel already knew Chief and Sophie wouldn’t have an issue with Hope and Billy living in the house next door to them because he’d already had a discussion with Chief just the other day about that very thing. How they were considering forming an LLC to help offset the costs and provide a sort of halfway house for people who were trying to get back on their feet. Anyone chosen to live in the house would be vetted extremely well, with Beth doing the background checks and hunting for anything that might raise a red flag. No one with a history of drug abuse or a criminal record would be allowed to live in the house. They truly wanted to help people who’d found themselves without a place to live through no fault of their own.
Hope and Billy would be welcome, just as Tadd and Louise had been, and just as Blythe was.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he told her as they followed the hostess to a table toward the back of the restaurant, “but I invited a few friends to come help celebrate with us.”
They turned a corner and the hostess gestured to one of the smaller rooms. It was probably used for private birthday parties or something, but it was perfect for what Squirrel had in mind. A fun dinner followed by an hour or so of playing the games.
What he didn’t expect was for Blythe to come to a dead stop in the doorway, then abruptly turn around. He had a feeling she would’ve left altogether if he wasn’t standing there and hadn’t taken her in his arms.
Her head dropped to his chest and her hands gripped the material of his shirt at his arms as if her life depended on it.
“Blythe?” he asked.
“No.”
“No what?”
“I can’t do it.”
“Do what?” Squirrel was confused. He raised his head and met the concerned gazes of his friends. He’d gone all out and called everyone in their inner circle, firefighters and cops alike. Sledge was there, but Beth had passed, saying she’d call Blythe later. Crash and Adeline and Coco were there. As was Sophie, Chief, Taco, Driftwood, Moose, and Penelope. Only a few of their law enforcement friends could come on such short notice, as some were on duty. But Dax and Mackenzie were there. Along with Quint, Corrie, TJ, Milena, and Calder. Squirrel didn’t see anything that would alarm Blythe so much she’d want to leave.
“Milena’s here. I can’t face her,” she whispered.
Squirrel mentally kicked his own ass. He knew Blythe felt guilty for what happened to the other woman, but he’d been too focused on doing something nice for Blythe to realize how hard it might be for her to face Milena. He took Blythe by the shoulders and pushed her back slightly so he could see her face.
“It’s fine, Blythe. Wouldn’t you rather get it over with than put it off? She doesn’t blame you in the least for what happened. All the blame is on Jonathan and Jeremiah, as it should be.”
Blythe’s lip quivered, but she bit it in an effort to control her emotions.
“They’re good people,” he said softly. “Trust me. I would never do anything that would bring you pain. Give them a chance.”
He watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was tentative and unsure. “Okay, but if I make a fool out of myself and ruin the celebration you planned, don’t blame me.”
Squirrel kissed her on the forehead and gave her a quick hug. “You won’t ruin anything, and there’s no backing out of our Skee-Ball showdown. Now, come on, let me introduce you to the people you don’t yet know. We’ll sit next to Crash and Adeline, okay?”
Her smile was a bit wobbly, but she finally nodded. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, baby.”
She turned and they walked into the room. Squirrel saw the brave smile Blythe put on her face and it only endeared her to him more. She was trying because these were his friends. It meant a lot to him. More than she knew.
“Hey, everyone, thanks for coming,” he told the group.
There were several greetings returned.
Squirrel held Blythe’s hand as he took her around the table. She was gripping his so hard, he knew he’d have marks from her fingernails, but he didn’t complain. Just held on tightly as he made the introductions and she was congratulated by their friends.
“This is Daxton Chambers and his girlfriend, Mackenzie. Dax is a Texas Ranger and I’ve known him for years.”
“It’s good to meet you,” Blythe said politely.
“Same,” Dax said in a deep voice.
“It’s about time, is all I have to say,” Mackenzie said with a smile. “I mean, I’ve been bugging Squirrel forever to get off his duff and find a woman. And you’re beautiful, and you make such a lovely couple! I’m sure you’re thrilled to get the job at the library. Truth be told, I’m a bit jealous, I mean…a library! You’ll get first dibs on all the new books that come in!”
Blythe smiled. Squirrel inwardly sighed in relief. Mackenzie could outtalk anyone, but she meant well and her goodness came through loud and clear in her words.
“Thanks. I love to read, but haven’t had the opportunity in a while, so I’m excited about the chance to borrow some books,” Blythe told her politely.
“As you should be. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything. I know you have Squirrel and the others, but don’t forget about me and the other cop girlfriends. We’re here too. We all stick together.”
“Th-Thanks,” Blythe stammered, seemingly surprised at the offer.
Squirrel stepped over to the next couple. “And this is Quint and Corrie. Quint works for the San Antonio Police Department. He’s been helping Detective Nelson with the investigation on Dog and Tweek.”
“Boy, those two are assholes,” Quint said without filtering his words. “You’re lucky to have gotten away with just a few scratches.”
“They were a bit more than scratches,” Squirrel growled, pissed off all over again when he thought about the knife wounds Blythe had suffered.
“Stop being so insensitive,” the woman at Quint’s side said as she slapped him on the arm. She turned in Blythe’s direction and held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Corrie.”
Blythe looked down at the hand, which was outstretched a bit too far to her right to have been offered to her. She looked up at Squirrel in confusion.
Squirrel took Blythe’s hand in his and reached for Corrie’s. He brought them together as he said, “Blythe, Corrie is blind, but that didn’t stop her from escaping two thugs who’d abducted her and strolling off into the forest to wait for Quint here to come to her rescue.”
Blythe smiled as she shook Corrie’s hand. “Wow. That’s a story I can’t wait to hear. It’s good to meet you.”
“You too. And it wasn’t quite as dramatic as Squirrel is making it sound.”
“Yeah, it was,” Quint countered.
“Whatever,” Corrie muttered, but she snuggled into Quint’s side.
The next introduction would be the hard one, but Squirrel didn’t hesitate. As he’d told B
lythe, better to get it over and done with rather than have it stretch out. “Blythe, this is TJ Rockwell, and you’ve met Milena Reinhart. TJ is a Highway Patrolman, and he used to be in the Army. In case you didn’t know, Milena is a nurse. They’ve also brought their two-year-old son, JT.”
Squirrel saw Blythe swallow hard, then hold her hand out to TJ. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ditto,” the large man returned.
Then she turned to Milena. She didn’t hold out her hand, instead rubbing it against the side of her jeans nervously. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too. And please, I can tell you feel awkward, but you have absolutely nothing to worry about. What happened to me and Sadie wasn’t your fault. That asshole was going to get his hands on us one way or another. And I heard you did it because another little boy was in danger?” Milena paused and looked at the chair next to her, where her son was frantically coloring outside the lines on the kids’ placemat in front of him. She ran a hand over his blond hair and said softly, “I would’ve done the same thing.”
“I’m so sorry,” Blythe whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do. I…” Her voice trailed off when Milena stood.
The other woman wrapped her arms around Blythe in a hug, and it was all Squirrel could do not to let out a huge sigh of relief. He hadn’t thought Milena’d held a grudge against Blythe, but anything was possible.
“Don’t apologize. You did what you thought was right. It’s over and done and I don’t have any hard feelings toward you. None. Okay?”
“Okay,” Blythe told her.
“Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a celebration. Why all the sad faces?” Calder asked from next to them.
Squirrel slapped his friend on the back. Calder was a medical examiner who spent most of his time in the morgue and lab. He assisted law enforcement in investigations by giving his insights into how victims were killed.
“Blythe, this reprobate is Calder Stonewall. He’s an ME with Bexar County and one of the smartest men I know.”
“Nice to meet you,” Blythe said as she held out her hand.
Calder shook it and winked at her. “Congrats on the new job. If there were more librarians who looked like you at the library when I grew up, I might have gone more often.”
Squirrel rolled his eyes. “She’s not a librarian,” he told him. “And it’s just a stepping stone to what she really wants to do.”
“And what’s that?” Calder asked.
Squirrel opened his mouth, then shut it at the last minute. He realized that he might be overstepping his bounds here. He turned to Blythe, only to see her eyeing him with amusement.
“You might as well tell him,” she said. “Just pretend I’m not here.”
“She’s got you there!” Mackenzie hollered from down the table.
Squirrel knew he was blushing, but gamely continued. “She wants to get a degree in social work so she can help people in situations like she was in.”
“That’s amazing,” Adeline chimed in. “I think it’s great.”
Blythe looked at Milena as she spoke. “There’s this woman, her name is Hope, and she has a little boy. I don’t know much about her situation, except that it involves an abusive ex, but I want to do more to help people like her. And her son. No one deserves to be on the streets, being treated like invisible second-class humans. I’ve been there. I want to help.”
“What can we do to help Hope and her son?” Milena asked gently.
Blythe shrugged. “I was going to talk to Sophie about them,” she admitted, looking over at the other woman.
“If you’re going to ask if they can s-stay at the house, the answer is yes,” Sophie said immediately. “But it m-might get a bit crowded.”
“Blythe’s going to move in with me,” Squirrel informed his friends.
Everyone was silent for a second as his words sank in—then pandemonium broke out. The congratulations rang thick in the air and Squirrel could only smile at the genuine happiness his friends exuded. Many people might warn him that it was too soon, that he was making a mistake; that maybe Blythe, a former homeless woman, would rob him blind. But not his friends. They were happy for him. For them. It was no wonder he’d do anything for these people.
“Thanks,” he said, holding his hands up to quiet everyone down. “Now…who’s hungry? We have a celebration to start!”
And with that, everyone cheered and began talking amongst themselves once again.
Blythe turned to him and hugged him.
“Okay?” Squirrel asked quietly.
“More than,” Blythe responded. She looked up at him. “I’m not saying that I’ll never feel guilty again about what happened to Milena, but you were right, it was better to just get the meeting over with. She’s really nice.”
“Told you.”
“So you did.” Blythe smiled up at him. “I’m starving. What kind of pizza are we having? And will it come soon? I’m in the mood to kick a little Skee-Ball ass tonight.”
Three hours later, Blythe was still laughing as Sawyer led her out of the restaurant and toward his Jeep. They’d played game after game of Skee-Ball, he’d won a few and she’d won a few. But more importantly, they’d had fun. A lot of fun. They’d laughed and good-naturedly exchanged quips all night.
She’d loved watching him with his friends, and JT. He’d patiently helped the toddler throw the ball down the lane and had clapped enthusiastically when he’d finally gotten it all the way and into one of the holes.
He’d talked her into playing a game of foosball with TJ and Milena, and they’d decided to play guys against girls. She was awkward around Milena at first, but the game was a great way of forging a bond. And they’d almost won too. If Sawyer hadn’t cheated on the last goal he’d made, they would’ve.
Overall, Sawyer was hilariously funny. Not only that, but he stayed by her side for most of the night, making sure she was comfortable with everyone. Good-looking, hysterical, compassionate, giving, and sensitive. She couldn’t believe he was hers.
Well, he wasn’t officially hers yet, but she wanted him to be.
He pulled into her driveway and they both got out. He took her keys and opened the front door, holding out an arm for her to precede him. She walked in and put her purse on the small table in the foyer, then turned to him. “You’re staying, right?”
“If you want me to,” Sawyer said, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her into him.
“I want you to,” she reassured him. Fingering the skin of his chest at the vee of his shirt, she said, “Thank you for tonight. I had a good time.”
“Me too. You deserved to let loose and have a good time, baby.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It’s not like I got some awesome kick-ass job, but regardless, it was fun.”
“Hey,” he said, moving his hands to either side of her head and making her look at him. “It’s a job. It’s a step in the right direction. Yeah, maybe it’s not your dream job, but it’s something. I’m going to make sure I’m here to help you celebrate every little step forward. Life is too short to not smile, have fun, and gather with friends. Right?”
“Right,” Blythe said softly. She reached up and grabbed his wrists with her hands. “Make love to me,” Blythe blurted, then blushed hotly. She hadn’t meant to just throw it out there like that, but she was burning up inside from want of him. They’d spent night after night snuggled close together, but she wanted more.
Without answering, Sawyer dropped his head. He kissed her as if his life depended on it. Blythe opened to him, giving him all of her without fighting. She’d give him whatever he wanted.
She felt him backing her down the hallway to the master bedroom. He never stopped kissing her and didn’t move his hands from her face. She held on to his arms as they moved, trusting him as he moved her where he wanted her.
Feeling the bed at the back of her legs, Blythe sat, smiling when Sawyer followed her down. She shifted backward until she was lying cr
osswise on the bed. He finally lifted his head.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“You won’t regret this,” he vowed.
“I know I won’t. I want you, Sawyer. I want to fall asleep with your skin against mine. Your heartbeat at my back, your arms around me, keeping me safe. I want to know you…all of you.”
“Fuck,” Sawyer swore, then he was kissing her again, but this time it wasn’t quite as controlled. His hands went to the hem of her shirt and pushed it upward, raising the material. The calluses on his hands lightly scratched the sensitive skin of her belly, and Blythe moaned into his mouth at the feel.
At the small sound, he pulled back and asked, “Okay?”
“More than,” she reassured him. Then she arched her back and wiggled under him until she could get her shirt up and over her head. He was straddling her then, looking down at her as if she were made of fine silk instead of flesh and blood.
Deciding she wanted to hurry this along, Blythe reached behind her and unclasped the cotton bra she was wearing. She pulled it down her arms, trying not to blush. Once it was off, she reached for Sawyer’s hands and placed them over her boobs.
“Touch me,” she ordered. Then, hoping to goad him on and snap him out of whatever trance he’d fallen into, she said not so innocently, “You know, Ronald moved faster than you are right now.”
Squirrel was terrified of doing something that would make Blythe change her mind. He would’ve backed off immediately if she’d decided that making love to him wasn’t what she wanted after all, but he was silently praying she wouldn’t come to her senses anytime soon.
He watched as she took off her shirt and couldn’t wait to finally make her his. His cock was as hard as it had ever been and the only thing he could think of was getting inside Blythe and pounding into her so hard, she’d feel him for days.
Every morning, he jacked off in the shower to thoughts of how she’d feel around his dick. She’d be hot and tight…and he knew he’d blow the second he got inside of her.